Didsbury Bandstand

Even though musical instruments were fragile and often unwieldy, many settlers brought them along when they came west. When enough musicians could be rounded up, often a small village band would form and many towns, including Olds, High River, Blairmore and Calgary, built bandstands for their bands in public parks or squares.

Such a bandstand was built in 1910 by Didsbury’s town council at a cost of $500, with the town’s band performing at community events for many years. In 1967, Heritage Park decided to build a somewhat larger replica of the Didsbury bandstand so that musical groups visiting the Park would have a place to play. In 1975, a public address system was installed at the bandstand to serve larger audiences.